Skip to main content

Molecular Approach for the Study of Penicillin Resistance In Neisseria meningitidis

  • Protocol
Meningococcal Disease

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Medicine™ ((MIMM,volume 67))

Abstract

Neisseria meningitidis was previously considered extremely susceptible to penicillin, with most isolates showing minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ≦ 0.06 μg/mL. However, meningococcal isolates with decreased susceptibility to penicillin have been reported from asymptomatic carriers from as long ago as 1964 (1). Since then, meningococcal clinical isolates with decreased susceptibility to penicillin have been widely described in different countries, with MICs between 0.12 μg/mL to 1 μg/mL (29).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Martin J. E., Sammuels S. B., Peacok W. L., and Thayer J. D. (1964) Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis sensitivity to spectomycin, lincomycin and penicillin G. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 5, 366–368.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Sáez-Nieto J. A., Vázquez J. A., and Marcos C. (1990) Meningococci moderately resistant to penicillin. Lancet 336, 54.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Sutcliffe E. M., Jones D. M., El-Sheikh S., and Percival A. (1988) Penicillin insensitive meningococci in the UK. Lancet i, 657–658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Tzanakaki G., Blackwell C. C., Kremastinau J., Kallergi C., Kouppari G., and Weir D. M. (1992) Antibiotic sensitivities of Neisseria meningitidis isolates from patients and carriers in Greece. Epidemiol. Infect. 108, 449–455.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Enting R. H., Spanjaard L., van de Beek D., Hensen E. F., de Gans J., and Dankert J. (1996) Antimicrobial susceptibility of Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates causing meningitis in The Netherlands, 1993-1994. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 38, 777–786.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Woods C. R., Smith A. L., Wasilauskas B. L., Campos J., and Givner L. B. (1994) Invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis relatively resistant to penicillin in North Carolina. J. Infect. Dis. 170, 453–456.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Blondeau J. M., Ashton F. E., Isaacson M., Yaschuck Y., Anderson C., and Ducasse G. (1995) Neisseria meningitidis with decreased susceptibility to penicillin in Saskatchewan, Canada. J. Clin. Microbiol. 33, 1784–1786.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Block C., Davidson Y., Melamed E., and Keller N. (1993) Susceptibility of Neisseria meningitidis in Israel to penicillin and other drugs of interest. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 32, 166–168.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Rosenstein N. E., Stocker S. A., Popovic T., Tenover F. C., and Perkins B. A. (2000) Antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria meningitidis in the United States, 1997. The Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) Team. Clin. Infect. Dis. 30, 212–213.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bardi L., Badolati A., Corso A., and Rossi M. A. (1994) Failure of the treatment with penicillin in a case of Neisseria meningitidis meningitis. Medicina (Buenos Aires) 54, 427–430.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Turner P. C., Southern K. W., Spencer N. J., and Pullen H. (1990) Treatment failure in meningococcal meningitis. Lancet 335, 732–733.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Arreaza L., de la Fuente L., and Vázquez. J. A. (2000) Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Neisseria meningitidis isolates from patients and asymptomatic carriers. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44, 1705–1707.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Cartwright K. A. and Ala’Aldeen D. A. (1997) Neisseria meningitidis: clinical aspects. J. Infect. 34, 15–19.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Quagliarello V. J. and Scheld W. M. (1997) Treatment of bacterial meningitis. N. Engl. J. Med. 336, 708–716.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Peltola H., Anttila M., and Renkonen O. V. (1989) Randomised comparison of chloramphenicol, ampicillin cefotaxime and ceftriaxone for childhood bacterial meningitis. Lancet i, 1281–1287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sáez-Nieto J. A., Luján R., Berrón S., Campos J., Vi~nas M., Fusté C., et al. (1992) Epidemiology and molecular basis of penicillin resistant Neisseria meningitidis in Spain: a five year history (1985-1989). Clin. Infect. Dis. 14, 394–402.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Spratt B. G. (1994) Resistance to antibiotics mediated by target alterations. Science 264, 388–393.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Dowson C. G., Coffey T. J., and Spratt B. G. (1994) Origin and molecular epidemiology of penicillin-binding-protein-mediated resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Trends Microbiol. 2, 361–366.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Maiden M. C. J. (1998) Horizontal genetic exchange, evolution, and spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Clin. Infect. Dis. 27(Suppl.1), S12–S20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Spratt B. G., Zhang Q. Y., Jones D. M., Hutchison A., Brannigan J. A., and Dowson C. G. (1989) Recruitment of a penicillin-binding protein gene from Neisseria flavescens during the emergence of penicillin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 8988–8992.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Spratt B. G., Bowler L. D., Zhang Q. Y., Zhou J., and Smith J. M. (1992) Role of interspecies transfer of chromosomal genes in the evolution of penicillin resistance in pathogenic and commensal Neisseria species. J. Mol. Evol. 34, 115–125.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pérez Castillo A., Pérez Castillo A. M., Luján R., and Sáez Nieto J. A. (1994) Comparison of penA (PBP2) gene sequences of Neisseria mucosa moderately resistant to penicillin (penr) and Neisseria meningitidis (penr and pens) strains. Rev. Esp. Quimioter 7, 228–237.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Luján R., Zhang Q. Y., Sáez-Nieto J. A., Jones D. M., and Spratt B. G. (1991) Penicillin resistant isolates of Neisseria lactamica produced altered forms of penicillin binding protein 2 that arose by interspecies gene transfer. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 35, 300–304.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sáez-Nieto J. A., Luján R., Martínez-Suárez J. V., Berrón S., Vázquez J. A., Vi~nas M., and Campos J. (1990) Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria polysaccharea as possible sources of meningococcal beta-lactam resistance by genetic transformation. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34, 2269–2272.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bowler L. D., Zhang Q. Y., Riou J. Y., and Spratt B. G. (1994) Interspecies recombination between the penA genes of Neisseria meningitidis and commensal Neisseria species during the emergence of penicillin resistance in N. meningitidis: natural events and laboratory simulation. J. Bacteriol. 176, 333–337.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Zhang Q. Y., Jones D. M., Sáez-Nieto J. A., Pℰez Trallero E., and Spratt B. G. (1990) Genetic diversity of penicillin-binding protein 2 genes of penicillin-resistant strains of Neisseria meningitidis revealed by fingerprinting of amplified DNA. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34, 1523–1528.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Botha P. (1988) Penicillin resistant Neisseria meningitidis in southern Africa. Lancet i, 54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Dillon J. R., Pauze M., and Yeung K. H. (1983) Spread of penicillinase-producing and transfer plasmids from the gonococcus to Neisseria meningitidis. Lancet i, 779–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Fontanals D., Pineda V., Pons I., and Rojo J. C. (1989) Penicillin-resistant beta-lactamase producing Neisseria meningitidis in Spain. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 8, 90–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Vázquez J. A., Enriquez A. M., de la Fuente L., Berrón S., and Baquero M. (1996) Isolation of a strain of beta-lactamase producing N. meningitidis in Spain. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 15, 181–182.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Roberts M. C. and Knapp J. S. (1988) Transfer of β-lactamase plasmids from Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Neisseria meningitidis and commensal Neisseria species by the 25.2 megadalton conjugative plasmid. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 32, 1430–1432.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Bäckman A., Orvelid P., Vázquez J. A., Sköld O., and Olcén P. (2000) Complete sequence of a β-lactamase-encoding plasmid in Neisseria meningitidis.Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44, 210–212.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Berrón S. and Vázquez J. A. (1994) Increase in moderate penicillin resistance and serogroup C in meningococcal strains isolated in Spain. Is there any relationship? Clin. Infect. Dis. 18, 161–165.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Fernández S., Arreaza L., Santiago I., Malvar A., Berrón S., Vázquez J. A., et al. (1999). Carriage of a new epidemic strain of Neisseria meningitidis and its relationship with the incidence of meningococcal disease in Galicia, Spain. Epidemiol. Infect. 123, 349–357.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Dougherty T. J. (1986) Genetic analysis and penicillin-binding protein alterations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae with chromosomally mediated resistance. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 30, 649–652.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Cartwright K., Strang J., Gossain S., and Begg N. (1992) Early treatment of meningococcal disease. Br. Med. J. 305, 774.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. van Deuren M., Brandtzaeg P., and van der Meer J. W. (2000) Update on men-ingococcal disease with emphasis on pathogenesis and clinical management. Clin.Microbiol. Rev. 13, 144–166.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Maggs A. F., Logan J. M. J., Carter P. E., and Pennigton T. H. (1998) The detection of penicillin insensitivity in Neisseria meningitidis by polymerase chain reaction. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 42, 303–307.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Campos J., Fusté M. C., Trujillo G., Sáez-Nieto J. A., Vázquez J. A., Lorén J. G., et al. (1992) Genetic diversity of penicillin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis. J. Infect. Dis. 166, 173–177.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2001 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Arreaza, L., Vázquez, J.A. (2001). Molecular Approach for the Study of Penicillin Resistance In Neisseria meningitidis . In: Walker, J.M., Pollard, A.J., Maiden, M.C.J. (eds) Meningococcal Disease. Methods in Molecular Medicine™, vol 67. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-149-3:107

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-149-3:107

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-849-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-149-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics